The University of Mississippi on Friday announced measures to be taken in response to reports that student-athletes and other students were disruptive during a theater performance of "The Laramie Project," a play about the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, an openly gay University of Wyoming student.

A six-person committee of faculty and staff that investigates discrimination claims released a statement Friday regarding allegations that the theater department production was subjected to laughter and gay slurs from the audience, which included members of the Ole Miss football team.

According to The Daily Journal, the committee did not call for the players to be suspended, but rather required all students who attended the performance to participate in an educational dialogue session. Cast members and production crew, who met with the committee last week and voiced the preference that audience members not be punished, are invited to participate, as well. The session will be led by university faculty and Allies, a university organization that supports the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community.

Friday's statement encourages "faculty, staff, students and community members to fully support our LGBTQ community by attending and supporting PRIDE week activities." The university's previously scheduled Pride Week begins today, and the committee will hold a meeting at which it will make long-term recommendations to faculty members in the theater department, staff members in the athletic department and students.

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An undefeated record meant nothing for a little league softball team that fell short in the sportsmanship game.

Atlee Little League softball was headed to the Junior League World Series until they were disqualified after a few members of the team posted a Snapchat photo of themselves giving the middle finger to their competitors – Kirkland American Little League from Washington.

According to a report from Huffington Post, the Little League International Tournament Committee made their decision just hours before Atlee was supposed to take the field in the world series.

Little League spokesman Kevin Fountain said the picture violated the organization’s policies, “regarding unsportsmanlike conduct, inappropriate use of social media, and the high standard that Little League International holds for all its participants.”

Kirkland, the team Atlee beat to advance, will take Atlee’s place in the Junior World Series.

Atlee Jr League ball team. Coach should man up & support the disqualify decision. I feel sorry for the rest of team NOT in middle finger pic pic.twitter.com/NKBknrjEX6

Chris Mardigian, head coach for Atlee, told RVA Sports Network that the girls in the photo were responding to harassment they’d endured from Kirkland during the tournament they’d been playing in. A Kirkland baserunner was ejected for stealing signals from the Atlee team and giving them to their batter.

A Kirkland coach was also ejected from the game, the Times-Dispatch reported.

The highest court in the land ruled Monday that trademarks — offensive or otherwise — are private speech, and as such are protected under the First Amendment. While the ruling came in response to an unrelated case, SCOTUS has set the stage for the Washington Redskins – which had their pejorative trademark yanked back in 2014 – to have the rights over their racist name reinstated.

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Stories about unruly fans, parents, coaches or even players creating threatening environments for high school sports officials have become common. Could it finally be having an impact on sports leagues’ abilities to find people willing to do the job?